Special flights to bring stranded Kashmiris from Dubai, Kyrgyzstan

Two special flights shall bring back stranded Kashmiris from Dubai and Kyrgyzstan on June 11 and 26 respective.

While a special Air India flight shall ferry 168 stranded Kashmiris from Dubai on June 11, the flight from Kyrgyzstan shall evacuate 168 Kashmiris on June 26.

   

As per the travel itinerary for the third phase of “Vande Bharat Mission” released by Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday evening, the Dubai-Srinagar and Kyrgyzstan-Srinagar flights via Delhi are among 70 others to operate between June 11 and June 30. The flights will bring back persons of various states of India stranded in several countries.  Kashmiri students from Kyrgyzstan had recently forwarded a list of 381 stranded persons to Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with all details. The KCCI had subsequently forwarded the details to the local administration.

“In view of the difficult financial conditions, we have urged the government to consider the pleas on humanitarian grounds,” a message from the students said. Several persons stranded in Dubai told this newspaper about the “hardships” they have been facing due to the covid19 lockdown. They welcomed the second direct flight between Dubai and Srinagar on June 11 but demanded more such flights be pressed into service. The first direct special evacuation flight between Dubai and Srinagar had operated on May 22 in which more than 150 persons had travelled.

“We are glad that the process of evacuation has started and there is a second flight from Dubai, but considering that there are almost 1000 persons keen to return home, there should be more flights,” said Aamir Rafiq, a Kashmiri stranded in Dubai.

As part of “Vande Bharat Mission” phase 2, the Riyadh-Srinagar flight arrived here on May 29 while Dammam – Srinagar flight arrived on May 31. The third flight between Jeddah to Srinagar will be on June 4, officials said. A special flight between Qatar-Srinagar operated on May 31 and the Muscat- Srinagar flight will be on Tuesday, June 2 with capacity of 149 passengers. Meanwhile, on day 8 of resumption of operation of domestic flights in J&K, 15 flights with 1603 passengers on board today arrived at Jammu and Srinagar airports, an official handout said.

“With a total of 352 passengers aboard, 6 regular commercial flights arrived at the Jammu Airport, while 9 flights with about 1251 passengers on board, landed at Srinagar airport today. “After arrival, all the passengers were tested for the COVID-19 virus, and transported to their destinations at both the airports amid strict observance of all necessary preventive protocols. “The government has made elaborate arrangements for the arrival, screening, sampling and proper transportation of the passengers to the quarantine centers taking special care of guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the Union Ministries of Civil Aviation and Health and Family Welfare,” it said.

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